The Bruins didn’t waste any time turning a rough start into another road win.
Boston erased a two-goal deficit and scored four straight in a 4-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center, stretching its win streak to four. Three of those goals came on the power play, and Michael DiPietro came away with his first NHL win after stopping 25 of 27 shots.
The night also brought a couple of milestones. Frederic Brunet scored the first NHL goal of his career, while David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm and Matt Poitras all found the net in the third period. The win was Boston’s first over Anaheim since October 22, 2023, ending a five-game skid in the matchup.
Anaheim had the edge early and made it count in the closing minute of the first period. Tim Washe opened the scoring at 19:22 after taking a pass from Jackson Lacombe and slipping a weak shot through DiPietro’s five-hole.
The Ducks struck again just 21 seconds later. Beckett Sennecke, Cutter Gauthier and Nikita Nesterenko worked the puck through the zone, with Nesterenko feeding Sennecke near the crease for a backhand tip that made it 2-0.
Boston’s turnover issues made the opening frame even tougher. The Bruins finished the period with seven giveaways and trailed in shots 14-7, though DiPietro steadied things by stopping the first 12 attempts he faced.
The comeback started early in the second. After Casey Mittelstadt drew a holding penalty on Tyson Hinds, Boston’s second power-play unit went to work.
James Hagens’ pass toward Brunet was deflected by Cutter Gauthier, but Brunet kept the play alive, settled the puck and fired it toward goal. The shot changed direction on the way in and beat Lukas Dostal to cut the lead to 2-1.
That goal gave Brunet his first NHL tally, and Pavel Zacha picked up the secondary assist to extend his point streak to four games. It was the only goal of the second period, even as Anaheim outshot Boston 9-7.
The turning point came late in the middle frame and into the third, when Nikita Zadorov was assessed an elbowing minor on Frank Vatrano and then roughing after the whistle. That sequence put Anaheim on a four-minute power play, but Boston killed off the first 3:20 before Roger McQueen was whistled for interference, wiping out the rest.
From there, the Bruins took control on special teams.
On the ensuing power play, Pavel Zacha fed David Pastrnak on a cross-crease look, Pastrnak quickly sent it to Elias Lindholm, and Lindholm returned the puck before Pastrnak buried a backhand from just outside the crease to tie it.
That goal pushed Pastrnak to 423 career goals, moving him into fourth in Bruins history and leaving him four behind Patrice Bergeron’s 427 for third.
Boston wasn’t finished. When Nikita Klepov was called for hooking, the Bruins cashed in again. Morgan Geekie found Zacha, who turned the puck right to Lindholm in front for his second goal of the season and Boston’s first lead of the night.
The Bruins’ power play finished 3-for-4.
Matt Poitras added the exclamation point later in the period, joining James Hagens on a 2-on-1 against Pavel Mintyukov. When Mintyukov closed on Hagens, the puck went to Poitras, who shifted to his backhand and slipped it past Dostal for his third goal of the season.
Three of Poitras’ 10 career goals have come at Honda Center.
Boston finishes the back-to-back Saturday night in Los Angeles and closes out its four-game road trip Tuesday in Dallas.
In Other News...
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From Bostons point of view, the most interesting part of the discussion may be what happens if DeBrusk lands in the Atlantic Division. Two of the teams mentioned are the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, which would put a familiar face back in the Bruins neighborhood even if there is no indication of a reunion in Boston. The Bruins are expected to keep an eye on where he ends up, but the more immediate concern could be seeing him again in a setting that keeps the rivalry a little too close for comfort. [Read more 🡒]
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Bruins Comeback Featured A Breakthrough Boston Fans Will Love
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One of the nights best signs for Boston came from the blue line, where Frederic Brunet made an impact in a way the Bruins have been waiting to see. For a team trying to stack wins and build momentum before meeting the Los Angeles Kings next, getting contributions from across the roster is the sort of development that matters just as much as the final score. [Read more 🡒]